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Selected Blasphemy Cases SELECTED BLASPHEMY CASES SEPTEMBER 2017 U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Mohamed Basuki “Ahok” Abdullah al-Nasr Andry Cahya Ahmed Musadeq Sebastian Joe Tjahaja Purnama EGYPT INDONESIA INDONESIA INDONESIA INDONESIA Ayatollah Mohammad Mahful Muis Kazemeini Mohammad Tumanurung Boroujerdi Ali Taheri Aasia Bibi INDONESIA IRAN IRAN PAKISTAN Ruslan Sokolovsky Abdul Shakoor RUSSIAN Raif Badawi Ashraf Fayadh Shankar Ponnam PAKISTAN FEDERATION SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI ARABIA UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SELECTED BLASPHEMY CASES SEPTEMBER 2017 WWW.USCIRF.GOV COMMISSIONERS Daniel Mark, Chairman Sandra Jolley, Vice Chair Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz, Vice Chair Tenzin Dorjee Clifford D. May Thomas J. Reese, S.J. John Ruskay Jackie Wolcott Erin D. Singshinsuk Executive Director PROFESSIONAL STAFF Dwight Bashir, Director of Research and Policy Elizabeth K. Cassidy, Director of International Law and Policy Judith E. Golub, Director of Congressional Affairs & Policy and Planning John D. Lawrence, Director of Communications Elise Goss-Alexander, Researcher Andrew Kornbluth, Policy Analyst Tiffany Lynch, Senior Policy Analyst Tina L. Mufford, Senior Policy Analyst Jomana Qaddour, Policy Analyst Karen Banno, Office Manager Roy Haskins, Manager of Finance and Administration Travis Horne, Communications Specialist SELECTED BLASPHEMY CASES Many countries today have blasphemy laws. Blasphemy is defined as “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God.” Across the globe, billions of people view blasphemy as deeply offensive to their beliefs. Respecting Rights? Measuring the World’s • Violate international human rights standards; Blasphemy Laws, a U.S. Commission on Inter- • Often are vaguely worded, and few specify national Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report, or limit the forum in which blasphemy can documents the 71 countries – ranging from occur for purposes of punishment; Canada to Pakistan – that have blasphemy • Are inconsistent with the approach laws (as of June 2016). agreed to in UN Human Rights Council Blasphemy laws are a global con- Resolution 16/18; cern, present in all of the world’s regions. • Inappropriately make governments the These laws, which punish expression or arbiters of ultimate truths or religious acts deemed blasphemous, defamatory of doctrines; religions, or contemptuous of religion or • Are used disproportionately against reli- religious symbols, figures, or feelings, have gious minorities or dissenting members punishments ranging from fines to impris- of the majority community and are ripe onment and death. They also embolden for abuse; vigilante groups who mete out their own • Often carry draconian penalties; and extrajudicial “justice,” including killings, • Embolden religious extremists to commit often with state impunity. acts of violence. According to their proponents, blasphemy USCIRF urges the repeal of blasphemy laws promote religious harmony and public laws worldwide. We must continue to confront order. Unfortunately, they do the opposite, blasphemy laws and the horrific acts they often leading to instability and violence in unleash as an assault on human rights and dig- countries around the world, with negative nity and press offending nations to repeal these consequences for individuals, communities laws, protect those who have been accused, and nations. USCIRF believes that all human and release people arrested, charged, impris- beings should be accorded dignity, respect, oned, and sentenced to death for blasphemy. and freedom no matter their convictions, and The Commission believes that when dis- the Commission affirms the right of private cussing blasphemy, it is important to focus on individuals and groups to peacefully oppose the real people impacted, and not just the laws expression they consider to be blasphemous. themselves. The individuals highlighted here However, while it is legitimate to speak out are only a sample of those who have been neg- against blasphemy, the Commission maintains atively impacted by blasphemy laws. For some that government has no role in policing blas- we have pictures, but for many we do not. Read phemy and that laws against blasphemy are their stories, the charges against them, and their detrimental to religious freedom and related sentences to better understand the devastating human rights and are deeply problematic impact of these laws and the need for repeal. because they: 1 U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM EGYPT MOHAMED ABDULLAH AL-NASR RELIGION CHARGES SENTENCING DATE SENTENCE Sunni Contempt of religion (Article 98 (F) February 2017 5 years’ imprisonment Muslim Egyptian Penal Code) SUMMARY In February 2017, Sunni Muslim cleric Mohamed Abdullah al-Nasr was sentenced to five years in prison for “contempt of religion” for questioning various interpretations of Qur’anic texts on Face- book; he remains in prison while an appeal is pending. In November 2016, al-Nasr also had claimed to be the Mahdi, a promised eschatological figure within Islam, prompting calls for his prosecution and a psychiatric evaluation. Al-Nasr reportedly began a hunger strike February 26, 2017 to protest his imprisonment.1 No Photo Available MUSTAFA ABDEL-NABI RELIGION CHARGES SENTENCING DATE SENTENCE Atheist Contempt of religion Initial: January 2016; 3 years’ imprisonment (Article 98 (F) Egyptian Penal (in absentia) Code) Appeal Upheld: February 23, 2016 SUMMARY In January 2016, online activist Mustafa Abdel-Nabi was convicted in absentia to three years in prison for blasphemy for postings about atheism on his Facebook page. His sentence was upheld on February 23, 2016, by the Edku Misdemeanor Court. 2 SELECTED BLASPHEMY CASES EGYPT No Photo Available GAD YOUSEF YOUNAN RELIGION DETAINED SINCE CHARGES SENTENCING DATE SENTENCE Coptic April 7, 2015 Contempt of religion December 2015 3 years’ imprisonment Christian (Article 98 (F) (Released on bail Egyptian Penal Code) pending appeal) SUMMARY Gad Yousef Younan, an Egyptian teacher at a Coptic Christian school, was arrested and charged on April 7, 2015 with “contempt of religion”, along with four of his students, because he filmed a short private video in which four of his students mocked ISIS. Younan was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2015, and he and his family were expelled from his village after a “reconciliation session” with local authorities. Younan was released on bail pending the appeal of his case. In 2015, his four students were sentenced to five years in prison in a separate trial. In April 2016, the four students fled Egypt and reportedly are seeking asylum in Switzerland. INDONESIA ANDRY CAHYA RELIGION DETAINED SINCE CHARGES SENTENCING DATE SENTENCE Gafatar follower May 25, 2016 Blasphemy March 7, 2017 3 years’ imprisonment (also known as (Article 156(a), Millah Abraham) Indonesian Criminal Code) SUMMARY Andry Cahya, along with his father Ahmad Musadeq and Mahful Muis Tumanurung (see below), are leaders of the banned spiritual movement Gafatar. He currently is serving a three-year sentence for blasphemy; the court acquitted him of “rebellion” charges under Articles 107 and 110 of the Crimi- nal Code. Mr. Tumanurung and Mr. Musadeq previously had been convicted of blasphemy in 2006 for establishing the Al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah movement. After their release, they formed the Gafatar spiritual movement in 2012, which the government disbanded for deviating from Islam in 2015 after the country’s top Muslim clerical body issued a fatwa pronouncing Gafatar heretical.2 3 U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM INDONESIA No Photo Available SANDY HARTONO CHARGES SENTENCING DATE SENTENCE Transmitting religiously defamatory September 20, 2011 6 years’ imprisonment and a material over the Internet 500 million rupiah fine (Article 28(2), Electronic Information and Transactions Law) SUMMARY Sandy Hartono was convicted of disseminating religiously defamatory material over the Internet under Article 28(2) of Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transactions Law. These charges arose from Mr. Hartono’s Facebook posts that allegedly slandered Islam and the Prophet Muhammed. In 2011, an Indonesian court sentenced him to six years in prison. AHMAD MUSADEQ RELIGION DETAINED SINCE CHARGES SENTENCING DATE SENTENCE Gafatar follower May 25, 2016 Blasphemy March 7, 2017 5 years’ imprisonment (also known as (Article 156a, Millah Abraham) Indonesian Criminal Code) SUMMARY Ahmad Musadeq, along with his son, Andry Cahya (see above), and Mahful Muis Tumanurung (see below), are leaders of the banned spiritual movment Gafatar. He currently is serving a five-year prison sentence for blasphemy; the court acquitted him of “rebellion” charges under Articles 107 and 110 of the Criminal Code. Mr. Tumanurung and Mr. Musadeq previously had been convicted of blasphemy in 2006 for establishing the Al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah movement. After their release, they formed the Gafatar spiritual movement in 2012, which the government disbanded for deviating from Islam in 2015 after the country’s top Muslim clerical body issued a fatwa pronouncing Gafatar heretical.3 4 SELECTED BLASPHEMY CASES INDONESIA SEBASTIAN JOE RELIGION DETAINED SINCE CHARGES SENTENCING DATE SENTENCE Muslim July 3, 2012 Initial: Blasphemy Initial: Initial: 4 years’ (Article 156(a), Indonesian November 2012; Imprisonment; Criminal Code); Second: Second: 1-year Second: Disseminating January 2013 imprisonment information aimed at inciting religious hatred or hostility (Article 28(2), Electronic Information
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